Anthony Wayne was born in 1745 to a family with an Irish-immigrant father, in Pennsylvania. He was educated at his uncle’s academy and the College of Pennsylvania. He went on to serve in the Pennsylvania legislature from 1774 to 1780 and years later his son became a Representative from Pennsylvania.
Moving on, Wayne rose up the ranks of the militia quite quickly during the American Revolution. In 1776, he became colonel of the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment, which was part of the Continental Army’s invasion of Canada (which was soon defeated). In the same year, Wayne led many troops at Fort Ticonderoga and Mount Independence, which ultimately led to his promotion to Brigadier General in early 1777. In 1779, Wayne attacked the British in the Battle of Stony Point and was victorious, which led to another replica attack that only took 25 minutes. Wayne lost 100 soldiers in the second attack but captured over 500 enemy soldiers. After such a great victory, the spirits and morale of the country were boosted, and he was awarded a medal by the Continental Congress. This battle gave Wayne the nickname of “Mad” Anthony Wayne, for his bravery and courage.
After the Revolutionary War, Wayne retreated to Pennsylvania, serving another term in the state legislature before moving to Georgia to serve in the second US Congress but lost his seat over an election fraud charge. It is important to note that Wayne was a delegate sent by the state of Georgia to ratify the Constitution of the United States in 1788. After some years off in Georgia, George Washington called Wayne and placed him in command of a new military force called the “Legion of the United States,” an extension of the army that was made to take over land from the northwestern Indians who kept control of a large area that the US lost years back in a war.
Overall, what made “Mad” Anthony Wayne stand out was his “fiery temperament,” something he shared with Washington. Wayne continuously, battle after battle, stood in the line of fire without fear or hesitation to lead his troops and show them that what they are doing is right and must be won. His spirit rallied the country together over the American Revolution and reinstated the support and feeling of liberty in the citizens of the new country.
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I think this article was very well written. I think "Mad" Anthony Wayne is a really interesting person to elaborate on because, first of all, my name is Anthony as well, but also, that Wayne isn't very well known. It's intriguing to hear the story of a lesser general who still contributed greatly to the Revolutionary War. I also liked the large amount of detail on Wayne's background before and after his famous battle--I didn't know of them before reading this article. I also really liked how you compared Wayne with Washington, which helped me draw parallels between the two an understand Wayne's personality better. Well Done!
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